


Shouldn't

by SmugdenSugdenDingle



Series: 28 Fics in February [3]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Affair era, Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-10-21 18:54:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17648072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmugdenSugdenDingle/pseuds/SmugdenSugdenDingle
Summary: set during the affair era





	Shouldn't

**Author's Note:**

> For the two Anons on Tumblr: “I do love you, I should tell you more” + Aaron gets shot at the pub after catching a robber( this was a late request by another anon but I wanted to use it) 
> 
> I hope you guys like it, sorry if there are any mistakes!

Aaron froze, the shot still ringing in his ears, he reaches for the bar next to him unable to stand on his own, looking down at his hand as he pulls it away from his stomach to see it covered in blood.

“Oi!” He hears from outside.

His breathing his sharp and short as he pushes off the bar heading towards the exit, still holding himself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I told you, Vic, I have to see what Chrissie is up to,” Robert explained as he and his sister made their way out the café.

“Oh come on its just one night and Marlon is actually letting me have control of the menu for once,” she explained. “Please?” She asked with puppy dog eyes.

“Oh don’t start with that,” Robert replied. “Fine,” he said with a sigh, giving in.

“Yay, I love you,” Vic stated going to hug him.

It’s the sound of a gun going off that stops Robert from saying anything in return, he frowns looking towards the pub, a second later seeing the door flying open followed by a hooded man exiting shoving something into his pocket. His heart sank, “Oi!” He heard Vic yell after the hooded man, his eyes still trained on the pub doors, his fears quickly turning into a reality, seeing Aaron falling out the door bloodied, “Vic,” is all he managed to get out.

“Oh, Ga- Aaron!” She yelled running over to her mate catching him, trying to hold him up. “Robert!” She called back, kicking him into gear quickly making his way over to them. “I gotcha,” He told the other man, Aaron grabbing onto Robert’s arm before his legs gave out on him.

“Oh God, Aaron,” Vic cried.  “What’s happened?”

“He’s been shot what does it look like?!” Robert nearly yelled as he ripped his jacket off balling it up to put it under the younger man’s head. “Ring an ambulance,” he told his sister as he moved Aaron’s hand away to apply pressure on the wound. “Vic!” Robert yelled noticing she was frozen. “Now!” He watched as she pulled her phone from her back pocket quickly tapping away on her phone. “Ambulance … The Woolpack, Emmerdale Village,” she stated. “My mate he’s been shot…”

Robert turned his attention back to Aaron, “You heard that… helps on the way,” Robert told him. Aaron sucked in a breath of air, “I..” He tried saying but started coughing.

“Hey, don’t try and talk,” Robert told him. “You’re gonna be okay, I promise,” he went on. “Is anyone else in the pub?” He asked. Aaron slowly shook his head no before coughing even more.

“Aaron?” Robert looked up to see Cain running over. “What’s happened?” He asked joining Robert by Aaron’s side.

“I don’t know,” Robert replied. “One moment there was a shot, the next some random is running out along with him like this.” He added.

“Chas?”

“He said no one else was in there,” Robert replied.

“To..town” Aaron managed to get out.

“She’s in town?”

He nodded in response.

“Aaron, did you see who did this?” Cain asked. Aaron breathing started to slow, he was struggling to keep his eyes open, his face turning paler.

“Aaron?” Aaron could faintly hear Robert calling for him. “Open your eyes, mate,” he heard again. “Aaron!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Robert?” The man heard from behind him. He had been pacing in the waiting room for hours, longer than he probably should have, waiting on any news, he turned to see Chrissie making her way over. “What are you doing here?” He asked as she hugged him

“I heard Bob and Jimmy talking in the Café, they said there was a shooting, and they said you were here,” she explained as she pulled away examining her husband. “You’re covered in blood,” she stated in a panic.   
“It’s not mine,” he reassured her. “It’s… Aaron’s,” He managed to get out.

“Come on let’s get you home,” she told her husband.

“No,” He replied quicker than he probably should have.

“Robert, I know you have a stake in his business,” she stated. “But you’ve done your bit haven’t you, I’m sure his family wouldn’t want you hanging around.”

“I… I just promised Vic I’d stay,” he lied before making his way over to a chair to sit. “She’s worried about him.”

“Why isn’t she here-

“Adam took her home,” Robert snapped. “She was a mess, she didn’t want Chas to see her that way so Adam decided to take her home,” he explained.

“Robert.”

“Look, you head home yeah,” he told her. “I’ll be home soon.”

“Robert,” she repeated.

”Go okay, It’s fine.”

Chrissie hesitated at first, “I’m coming straight back here if you’re not home by midnight,” she explained.

“I won’t be long I promise,” he replied.

An hour had passed after Chrissie left Robert sat in the waiting room, he was staring at the far wall, the whole floor was quiet. The look on Aaron’s face was burned in his mind, the scared and pained look in his eyes as he laid on the ground. Robert knew he was out of place in this waiting room, he knew shouldn’t be there, he should be at home, yet here he was sat, waiting.

“Robert?” He heard, he looked up to see Chas who was wiping the tears from her cheeks. He leaped from his seat making his way over to the woman. “What’re you doing here?”

“Aaron, is he?”

“…He’s resting,” she replied.

“So the surgery was a success?”

“They were able to remove the bullet and stop the internal bleeding,” she explained. Robert breathing a sigh of relief at the news. “Have you been here this whole time?” She questioned noticing the state of his shirt.

Robert looked down at himself not saying anything, “I… I couldn’t … I didn’t want to leave until I knew he was okay,” he explained.

“Well you know now,” she replied.

“Can…can I see him?”

“Don’t you have a wife to get home to?” Chas asked.

“I know you don’t like me, but please… I have to see him.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The room was dark the only light flowing in from the hallway and the only noise was coming from the monitor which was beeping steadily. He made his way over to the bed looking down at the man who if he didn’t know any better was just simply sleeping. He sat down next to the bed reaching for Aaron’s hand grabbing onto it. It was risky he knew but at that moment he didn’t care he needed this.

“Police reckon it was a burglary gone wrong,” Robert stated softly. “Not that I have to tell you, ay? You being in a hospital bed and all that,” he added as he ran his thumb over Aaron’s. He fell silent, closing his eyes to listen to the steady beeping from the monitor, telling himself the worst was over, Aaron was fine.

“Your mum will probably be in any minute,” he stated. “She told me I could have five minutes but you know your mum…” he trailed off. “I do love you, you know,” he said after a moment, looking up at Aaron’s face. “I should tell you more,” he explained. He sighed, “it’s not like I could though, can I?” He questioned. “My heart stopped… seeing you…. Like that,” He explained still holding onto his hand. “I’ve never been— I don’t know what I would do if you…” he choked, his chin wobbling and the tears welling up in his eyes. He stopped taking a deep breath. “I better go,” he muttered. “You need to be resting not listening to me go on,” he explained getting up from the chair letting go of Aaron’s hand. He stared down at the man reaching for the man’s hair brushing the curls back before leaning down to place a kiss on his forehead. “I’ll be back, soon, I promise,” he muttered.

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr: SmugdenSugdenDingle


End file.
